


de nobis fabula narratur

by houfukuseisaku



Category: Evillious Chronicles
Genre: Alternate Universe, Experimental Writing Exercise, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2019-10-30 08:06:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17825006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/houfukuseisaku/pseuds/houfukuseisaku
Summary: about us is the story toldexploring the endless possibilities of the chronicles, one changed piece at a time.(a collection of au ideas and the resulting butterflies)





	1. something something sad meaningful latin phrase

**Author's Note:**

> this first one is from the idea of an apprentice-swap, where michaela and gumillia change roles. along with kyle and allen, rilliane falls in love with michaela as well, and as a result keeps her like a bird in a gilded cage.

There’s nobody left. No one but her, the princess, and the princess’s twin, a secret she was made privy to just mere moments before, when she told the servant of her plan.

How cruel.

She hopes that he can carry out his part. She hopes that he can find the strength to live on afterwards, too.

From the sound of things, the revolution will most likely reach its peak tomorrow, so. She has to do this, _now_.

“Rilliane.” Michaela whispers, cringing at the tremor in her voice. With steady, careful steps, she walks up to the despondent princess, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Rilliane, it’s late. You should go to sleep.”

“Ah. I suppose I should.” Rilliane answers without turning to face her. “Such a shame; the full moon’s out tonight. I want to enjoy its beauty a little longer.”

Michaela traces the princess’s line of sight, raising her eyes to the sky. True enough, the moon shines bright and full far above them, surrounded by the twinkling stars. Heaving a sigh, she returns her gaze to Rilliane, only then noticing the tremble of her lip.

“It’s so lonely.” Rilliane whispers, seemingly to herself. “The moon is so lonely. Like me.”

“Don’t be silly.” Michaela softly chides, shaking her head. “The moon can’t be lonely; look at all the stars around it. And, you can’t be lonely, because,” her voice cracks, “I’m here. I’m still here.”

Finally, Rilliane turns to face her, a faint smile on her face. “That’s right. How could I forget? Despite everything, you’re still here. My nightingale, my diva of green, my dearest beloved. And you’ll always be by my side, won’t you?”

A lump rising to her throat, Michaela pulls Rilliane into an embrace before she can say anything she’ll regret. Rilliane laughs, returning the hug with enthusiasm.

“Nobody else matters. You’re my everything, Michaela.” She mumbles, half-delirious. “If anyone makes you unhappy, Michaela, I’ll just remove them. I’ll kill anyone who tries to take you away from me. I’ll raze a thousand countries to ashes before I’ll let go of you. I’ll conquer all of Evillious and force them to worship you as their god. I’ll make sure of that. Allen will make sure of that.”

“…You truly trust Allen, don’t you?”

“Of course! He’s my best servant. He’ll do anything for me.”

_He really will,_ Michaela thinks, bittersweet. _He’ll do anything to save you, Rilliane._

“Then, Rilliane, will you do something for me?”

Rilliane moves to pull back, but Michaela holds her close, burying her face in her shoulder. With a sigh, the princess strokes her verdant green hair, humming a tuneless melody for a few seconds.

“Anything.”

“Break your contract with that demon.”

“Wha…?”

“Please, Rilliane, _please_!” Michaela begs, tightening her grip on Rilliane’s arms. “Can’t you see? The mirror is _destroying_ you, inside and out! Please, just… trust me.”

In an incredibly small, scared voice, the princess whispers. “… I don’t remember who I was, before the mirror.”

“It doesn’t matter; I’ll still be _here_. I’ll always stay by your side.”

“P-promise?”

“Of course. I _love_ you, Rilliane.”

She feels more than hears the breath hitch in Rilliane’s throat. After a moment, the princess sags and goes limp in her embrace. Michaela lets out a breath she didn’t realize she’s been holding, then traces a cross on Rilliane’s back.

“Thank you. And… I’m sorry.”

“Wh—what did you just d—”

A glint of light reflecting off a blade in the shadows is all the warning she gets, before a sword finds itself driven through both hers and Rilliane’s chest. Michaela bites her lip to silence the scream of pain, tasting the blood gurgling up her throat and pooling on her tongue.

Just inches away from her face, Allen sobs, both hands rushing to cover his mouth as he realizes what he’s done, bloodstained sword tumbling noisily to the balcony floor.

Jerkily pulling back, Rilliane manages a glance over her shoulder, her face twisting in betrayal. “All… en… why…”

“I have to save you.” Allen chokes out, tears starting to trail down his cheeks. “This was the only way to save you!”

“Don’t blame… him, Rilliane…” Michaela coughs, falling forward and fisting her hands in Rilliane’s dress. “I was… the one… who told him… to do this…”

“Then, why… you…?”

“I told you… didn’t I…?” Raising her head to give Rilliane one last smile, Michaela whispers. “I’ll always… stay… by your side… _even in death_.”

And then she collapses, unmoving. Rilliane raises her gaze to the night sky above, mouth open and teeth bared in a furious, soundless scream, before she deflates and crumples, her final breath escaping in a pitiful wheeze as she fixes Allen with one last questioning stare, the light fading from her eyes.

Allen whimpers, sharply averting his gaze and shakily getting to his feet. Without even looking back, he runs away.


	2. platonic "accidentally" steals meta's kids: the movie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _exactly what it says on the tin_
> 
> houfuku here, trying my hand at three things i dont usually do: chatfic, university au, and no/minimal angst + my one favourite-est ship: starlit bear (adam/eve/meta)
> 
> oh and uh eyestrain warning cuz this is my first time working with a workskin so i went Wild with the html colour codes lmao
> 
> ps. this isnt meant to be serious at all

> st☆rchild RIGHT NOW opened memo on board SPRING ONION FANCLUB

st☆rchild: GUYS WE HAVE A PROBLEM

st☆rchild: META CAN'T FIND HER KIDS ANYWHERE

> MicheM responded to memo

MicheM: Oh no!

> GodsGift responded to memo

GodsGift: fuck

st☆rchild: she's trying not to panic but she's c

st☆rchild: SHE'S CRYINH WHAT DO I DO

> 3936ku responded to memo

3936ku: ;;A;;!! where did u last see h&g??!!

MicheM: Hug her and tell her it's going to be alright!

MicheM: You'll find them, I know you will!

GodsGift: dude just call the fuckin cops or smth

GodsGift: i can contact heidi or ayn

> thiefplatypus responded to memo

thiefplatypus: guys, chill! lol

thiefplatypus: i found the twins under a tree so i thought like

thiefplatypus: meta accidentally left them or something

thiefplatypus: i took em home, joseph is taking care of them rn

MicheM: pl

3936ku: Platonic.

GodsGift: there are no words

st☆rchild: y

st☆rchild: YOU STOLE META'S KIDS?!?!?!

thiefplatypus: no lmao???

thiefplatypus: i prefer the term

thiefplatypus: "being a better mom than a person who left their babies unattended in a public park"

GodsGift: ...tru dat

MicheM: Oh my God.

st☆rchild: META IS GOING TO K I L L YOU

3936ku: :/

3936ku: This is a mess.

 

> thatsSoMeta RIGHT NOW opened memo on board drunkkkkkgalsss

thatsSoMeta: FUCK

thatsSoMeta: I CANT FIND MY KIDS ANYWHERE

thatsSoMeta: HARDCORE PANICKING RIGHT NOW

> MayBee responded to memo

MayBee: Did you leave them somewhere unattended. Again.

> neckromancer responded to memo

neckromancer: ^

thatsSoMeta: NO?????

thatsSoMeta: okay thats a lie

thatsSoMeta: BUT STILL

> germAYYLMAOne responded to memo

germAYYLMAOne: real shit?

thatsSoMeta: I DIDNT EXPECT ANYONE TO ACTUALLY STEAL MY BABIES

MayBee: I don't know what I expected.

thatsSoMeta: YEAH FOR REAL @ G

neckromancer: where didja last see them?

neckromancer: i can ask artepollo to ask around if you want

thatsSoMeta: FUCK YOU MAY

MayBee: This is a valuable lesson. You should be more responsible.

germAYYLMAOne: damn...

germAYYLMAOne: do adam and eve know?

neckromancer: meta?

neckromancer: breathe meta, breathe. dont panic

thatsSoMeta: okay

thatsSoMeta: okay okayoka y

thatsSoMeta: eves with me rn, adam went to do uhhhhh the PA system thingy

MayBee: Make an announcement?

thatsSoMeta: ya

thatsSoMeta: ngl im so worried for my kids ithink imgomna cry

neckromancer: ok i messaged artepollo

neckromancer: theyll be fine, meta, well find them for sure

MayBee: Still think you deserve this in some way.

germAYYLMAOne: fuckoff maylis, noone needs your sass right now

germAYYLMAOne: esp meta

germAYYLMAOne: meta??

thatsSoMeta: KJSDFNKSDJFKDSFJSDK

thatsSoMeta: FALSE ALARM GUYS

thatsSoMeta: PLATONIC TOOK THEM CUZ SHE THOUGHT I FORGOT ABT THEM

germAYYLMAOne: ...

MayBee: ...

neckromancer: Problem Solved(tm)

thatsSoMeta: im so relived but also

thatsSoMeta: im gonna fucking KILL that bicth

neckromancer: gl! shes fun to play with

MayBee: ...Do I even want to know what that means?

germAYYLMAOne: i dont

germAYYLMAOne: goodfuckingnight everybody

neckromancer: gnight

MayBee: Good night.

thatsSoMeta: ldsjfnsldfjsdlf sorry for the panic every1

thatsSoMeta: nighty night

 

> caeruladamas RIGHT NOW opened memo on board One Braincell Dynasty

caeruladamas: ok first off who changed the boardname

> paint_the_sun responded to memo

paint_the_sun: kaspar

> boneapptheteeth responded to memo

boneapptheteeth: kaspar

> KNIFEemoji responded to memo

KNIFEemoji: kaspar

caeruladamas: godDAMNED it kas

boneapptheteeth: oh also i have your kids?

caeruladamas: aLSO META LOST HER K

caeruladamas: what

boneapptheteeth: platy handed them over

boneapptheteeth: apparently she thought meta abandoned them or something

caeruladamas: GOD FUCKING DAMN IT

caeruladamas: ill come pick them up rn,

boneapptheteeth: k

boneapptheteeth: tell them to stop messing up my kitchen too

caeruladamas: i will

caeruladamas: sorry;;

boneapptheteeth: np np

> kasparlicious responded to memo

kasparlicious: LOLOLOLOLOLOLOl

kasparlicious: GET WRECKED MOON BOY

> KNIFEemoji kicked kasparlicious off board One Braincell Dynasty

> KNIFEemoji renamed board One Braincell Dynasty to True Blue Bloods

paint_the_sun: ...pretentious but OK

boneapptheteeth: do i even belong here

paint_the_sun: shushhh of course you do

paint_the_sun: (pats your back)

KNIFEemoji: oh my god yall are Pathetique

boneapptheteeth: thx kyle

boneapptheteeth: thx karchess


	3. Acta Est Fabula Plaudit (The Play Has Been Performed; Applaud!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the end of the world, two broken people find salvation in each other and in the hopes of saving the ones lost to the hands of time.
>     
>     
>     meta and punishment bonding time + headcanons for what happened to the court end crew
> 
> dedicated to [sparky](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhimsicalSparky)

Far above, in the middle of the black sky, the bright moon sheds gentle light upon the barren ground, a permanent fixture in the world where time has stopped for good. The door to the next world had long been opened, but still some remain in this old, destroyed realm, seeking to tie up loose ends before they move on to the next.

One woman lets her eyes linger just a bit longer on that beacon of luminance, before gathering herself and renewing her efforts, trudging through devastated ruins and clambering around the remains of what once was, her journey made all the more difficult by unfamiliar terrain and strange surroundings.

After all, she hasn’t seen the world in about a thousand years or so, give or take. A _lot_ has changed.

Still, she continues to look for a certain someone. Brushing the dust and ash off a wall reveals the emblem of Elphegort—that, she recognizes, even now—and as she takes in the sight of the crumbling building, her resolve hardens further.

The architecture is similar enough that she instinctively knows what it is…

“Luna… ca… La… bora…” The woman murmurs, laughing mirthlessly to herself. “Laboratory of the full moon—is this some sort of research facility? Of course! Of course. The gods send me on one final quest that takes me right back to my roots.”

Without hesitation, she gingerly steps through the shattered glass doors and picks her way through the compound. An idea comes to her that calling out her target’s name would shorten her search considerably, but she quickly shakes it off before she can put it to practice.

Besides, she doesn’t exactly have a _name_ to put to her mark, does she?

After what feels like hours upon hours of fruitless probing and brute forcing her way through decaying walls and stubbornly locked doors that had somehow managed to brave the world’s destruction, she finally comes across what seems like a promising prospective.

A heavily-bolted metal door welded shut to the doorframe, deep in the bowels of the facility where the moonlight doesn’t reach.

“Nothing’s locked up like this unless there’s something to _hide_.” She muses, taking a few minutes to stretch her muscles and loosen up her limbs. “Alright then, here… _goes_ —!”

With a shout, she rushes shoulder-first at the offending obstacle, intent on crashing right through it and breaking it right off its hinges, and—bounces off like a basketball, biting her lip to muffle a cry of pain as she gently rubs at her sore shoulder with shaking fingers, the skin turning red and tender at the site of impact.

“Son of a—!” The woman hisses, glaring at the door with a look that could put a demon to shame. “Gods, I’m _this_ close to finding what I’m looking for and the only thing stopping me is a damn door?!”

“…Have you tried _knocking_?” A voice deadpans from the other side of the door, causing her to jump back in surprise.

“You—you alright there, kid?!” She yells, banging on the door with her fists. “Hold on, I’m coming to get you, I just—shit, how am I supposed to open this thing up? Hey, kid, I’ll be right back, I’m going to get help—"

But before she can step away or even finish her panicked rant, the seemingly-impenetrable door simply— _disintegrates_ , bursting into a trillion motes of light that immediately scatter and fade away, leaving behind the woman standing face-to-face with a golden-haired boy, one hand held up and sparking with power while the other rests at his hip.

“Seriously, couldn’t you have just knocked?” He monotones, a faint trace of amusement in his brilliant blue eyes. “Or are you just too used to barging into people’s homes unannounced? Witch of Merrigod, Meta Salmhofer.”

Said woman can’t help but balk at the boy not only knowing her name and infamous terrorist moniker, but also…

“…Hello?” The blonde boy asked, brows wrinkling slightly in concern. “Was it something I said? Did I go too far? Sorry, I’m not good at social, well, _any_ interaction at all really. Hey, are you okay?”

“I’m—fine.” Meta finally manages to choke out, averting her eyes from his. “It’s… you look like _him_ , you know? Like Hansel.”

“Ah.” A hint of regret colours his tone. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think. Sorry. Ah, ah, and they’ve left to traverse the multiverse with that evil food eater lady, haven’t they? Sorry.”

“It’s fine, really, it is.” After taking a few calming breaths, Meta finally works up the nerve to look at him, a small smile curling at the corners of her lips. “My children, they—they chose to follow that woman, and I won’t begrudge them that choice. I’ve only been their mother for a year; they’ve been by her side for hundreds more than that.”

“ _Still_ …!” The boy starts to speak up, but then considers his words and shakes his head. “No, nevermind. It’s not my place to say. So,” decidedly taking on a casual tone of voice, he leans against the doorframe, looking up at Meta with a questioning gaze. “Any reason you’ve come a-knocking? Need my help to blow up the world again? Here, come inside and sit down for a bit, let me look at that banged-up shoulder of yours. Next time, just knock, okay?”

“Oh, what a _charming_ young lad you are! I’ll be sure to remember your advice.” Stifling a laugh, Meta follows him into the room, taking a cursory glance at the interior. Barren concrete walls with no windows in sight, the barest essentials of utilitarian furniture… chains hanging from the ceiling, cold white floor tiles, stagnant air, the smell of antiseptic—

She abruptly stops dead in her tracks, suddenly unable to move.

The boy, keenly observing that the number of echoing pairs of footsteps had reduced from two to one, glances over his shoulder, taking one look at the cold sweat breaking out on Meta’s forehead and tracing her line of sight back to the chains.

“—Shit! Gods-damn it!” Cursing under his breath, he takes her hand in his own and scrambles out of the room, out of the research facility, away, away, _away_. “Meta! Breathe, Meta, _breathe_. Count to three, inhale-hold-exhale. You’re not there anymore, that’s all in the distant past! Come on, _come on_ …!”

Carefully leading her into the forest—or what’s left of it, anyway—he settles her down on a tree stump and worriedly checks up on her. Dilated pupils, shallow breathing, frantic pulse, that pathetic, helpless gurgling just barely managing to escape her throat—

Unable to think of any other way to snap her out of her panic, he carefully curls up on her lap and pulls her arms around him, snuggling up to her and humming a lullaby he heard from somewhere, long ago. Squeezing his eyes shut, he rocks himself in her arms, mentally heaving a huge sigh of relief as her violent trembling slowly stops and her tense muscles relaxes, her head drooping and coming to rest her chin on his hair.

“…Sorry. I’m sorry.” At last, Meta manages to mumble, burying her face in his hair. “Sorry. I was—that was—I couldn’t help but—”

“Shh, it’s alright. It’s partly my fault, too. I’m just so used to things like that because I’ve lived in that room for so long.” Peeking up at her through his bangs, the boy shakes his head, eyes teary. “Memories like that… it’s hard to forget about them, right? After all, we’re both broken people. That scientist _really_ fucked us up in the head.”

“That scientist—Twiright? You too…?!” With mounting horror, Meta hugs the boy even tighter, feeling a fierce protectiveness well up in her gut that she hadn’t felt in a very long time. “But you’re—you’re just a _child_! That lying, thieving snake of a man. How dare he… how _dare_ he…!”

Letting out a bark of bitter laughter, the boy twists out of her embrace and stands up, pulling out… a roll of gauze and a bottle of ointment from the satchel tied to his belt. After getting a nod of consent, he starts to work on treating her injured shoulder.

“I appreciate the sentiment, but… I can hardly be called a _child_ anymore, Meta. In fact—” With a chuckle, he cocks his head to one side, a half-smile on his face. “Honestly? In technical terms, I’m probably a little older than you are.”

“—What…?!”

“It’s a long story.” But at her expression of expectation, he sighs and relents, taking a seat beside her. “Well… I suppose we have all the time in the world anyway. Hm… let’s see. This is a story of the beginning. From where shall I start? My name is—well, I was supposed to be Adam Moonlit, the lost prince of Magic Kingdom Levianta.”

“Hold on… Adam? No, that can’t be right.” Frowning, Meta peers at the boy’s half-lidded eyes, searching for any sign of deceit yet finding none. “Adam’s the son of Alice Merry-Go-Round—er, Maria Moonlit. I know him, or at least, I’ve seen pictures of him, since he was the head of Project Ma before Seth.” A short pause. Then, in a quieter tone, “Besides, I saw him—and Eve, and that ambitious gardener—they’ve all been sucked up into a Black Box and underwent a Re_Birthday, along with the theatre…”

Meta’s voice trails off, the forlorn smile starting to form at the edges of the boy’s lips portraying such an intense loneliness that she can’t bring herself to continue.

“Adam, Eve, Gammon, Irina…” The boy whispers, shaking his head. “Have you ever wondered what the Leviantan Queen’s title means? ‘Merry-Go-Round’… a carousel that goes round and round. The karma of evil that will never end. The four of them—have gone back in time, trapped in an endless cycle that will be doomed to repeat until they find true salvation. Except me.

“That young Adam you saw, the one with golden hair and blue eyes?” With a self-deprecating laugh, the boy points at himself, jabbing his own chest with an accusing finger. “Here he is! _Here I am._ When we went back in time, I was reincarnated as one of Queen Alice—Irina’s irregular twin children. Eve and I both. But fate has a cruel way of separating twins, doesn’t it? Whether as a prank of the gods, or established as per the world’s rules, we were torn apart very soon after our birth.

“The Senate did not approve of our mother’s ‘virgin pregnancy’. Mother took us to the river, intending to abandon us to fate in hopes that we could grow up far from the corrupting, suffocating influence of the Magic Kingdom. But she only had time to send off Eve—Seth caught up to her just as she was putting me to the water, and I was taken away.

“Given permission to do what he wanted, he locked me up in a research facility, deep in the bowels of the earth. Kept me in stasis, never to age, never to change. In the laboratory of the full moon, Lunaca Labora, I was experimented on, day and night. When he tried to force me to create something from nothing, I could only _destroy_. I wasn’t the twin he wanted, and so even he abandoned me in the end.”

“And… that place earlier was where you remained, until Nemesis found you?” With a gasp, Meta starts to connect the dots, eyes widening in shock. “Studying your destructive irregular powers… _she built the ultimate weapon, Punishment_. Dear gods— _dear gods_. I… don’t know what to even say—! What of Eve, then? What happened to her?”

“Eve… my poor twin.” Shaking his head, the boy hums a short three-beat lullaby for a moment, taking the time to gather his thoughts. “Eve, like Irina and unlike Gammon and I, suffers through a cyclical closed loop. As she had barely managed to escape Seth’s clutches, she was found by the matriarch of the Zvezda Clan and her attendants, who took her in and cared for her as one of their own. The name they gave her was—Elluka Chirclatia, after the riverside tree where they found her entangled in the roots.

She lived a happy life with them, blessed as one of the children of the stars, but… she was still _different_ , and she wanted nothing more than to _fit in_ with the rest of her family. To that end, she even studied a forbidden ritual that would allow the exchange of bodies. Something explicitly looked down upon by the Zvezdas—save for one individual who had grand ambitions of her own. A powerful shaman named… Eve Zvezda.”

“Good gods…” Meta murmurs, covering her mouth with both hands. “Eve… Elluka… gods, that’s why she—! Damn it, Elluka, _you should have told me about this_. Nevermind that—keep going!”

“Eh, you know her…? Hmm, well—continuing from before, when Eve learned of Elluka’s irregular creation powers, she agreed to swap bodies with her, on the condition that they exchange identities as well. Thus, Eve Zvezda became Elluka Chirclatia, and Elluka Chirclatia returned to being Eve Zvezda. And, well, you know how the rest of her story goes.”

“Incredible. It’s—almost _too_ much to wrap my head around. But… wait!” With a jolt of surprise, Meta narrows her eyes and purses her lips, shooting the boy a questioning gaze. “There’s _one more person_ whose story you haven’t told me of yet, isn’t there? What happened to that ambitious gardener? What of Gammon Octo? And—wait, wait, wait… if you’re Adam, then who was the Adam that married Eve?! Unless—oh gods, _oh my gods_ , are you saying that…”

Smile stretching into a wide grin, the boy throws his head back and laughs, long and low. “You see?! Do you _see_ how _twisted_ the gods’ sense of humour is? That ambitious _gardener_ —became the ambitious _prince_ who then became the ambitious _head of Project Ma_! Mother… dear Irina, lonely, pitiful Irina who wanted nothing more than a family, nothing more than to have _a child_ … when her children were taken away from her, when the Senate forced her to take an alternative: adopt a child not of her own blood—when she saw that boy with sad eyes that seemed to know too much yet remembered _nothing_?

“All of us, all four of us, we’ve been made to dance on strings like mindless puppets, become playthings of fate. Irina becomes Alice, Gammon becomes Adam, Eve will forever remain Eve, and here I am, forgotten by _everyone_ , even the gods themselves!”

As his hysterical laughter dies down into suppressed sobs, he clings onto Meta’s arms, shoulders shaking. “I’m so tired, Meta. I’m so, so _tired_ … I just want them all back. Mother, my twin, even the one who took my place… I want to be their salvation. But I can’t—because I’m useless, useless, fucking _useless_. The only thing I know how to do is to _destroy_ , over and over and _over_ again.”

Immediately scooping him up in her arms, Meta coos soothing nothings into his ear, gently rocking him in her embrace as he cries a thousand years’ worth of tears.

“Hush now, _none_ of this is your fault.” She murmurs, brushing his dishevelled bangs away from his face. “Their fates aren’t _your fault_ , dear, I’ll have none of that nonsense! You mustn’t dwell on the ‘what-could-have-been’—now, the one thing we can to is to focus on that _‘what-will-become’_.”

“What can we do, though?” Morosely, the boy rhetorically asks, eyes fluttering shut. “This cycle has gone on infinity times, and it’ll repeat infinity times more. There’s nothing we can do. The karma of evil just won’t _end_.”

“And that’s where I come in.” With a confident smile, Meta holds her hand over her chest, anchoring herself to the steady sense of her own heartbeat. “Why did you think I came all the way out here, looking for _you_?”

“Because the gods told you to do so?”

“That’s just part of it. See—the one who found my soul wandering the ground world after the Catastrophe, the one who took me in and led me to Angolmois, the one who claimed to have found a way to save them— _Elluka Clockworker_ sent me on this quest. She misses her dear sister-in-law as well. So, she, along with her husband Kiril, asked me to ‘find her other half’… that is, you.”

“Other half—you don’t mean…?!” Sitting upwards with a jolt, the boy looks at her with wide eyes, hope sparkling brilliantly within them. “The body-swap, Eve’s original irregular body—of course! Why didn’t I think of it before? We can perform our _own_ Re_Birthday! We can go back to the past, we can— _we can finally save them!!!_ ”

Breaking down in tears once again, though this time out of sheer joy and relief, the boy wraps his arms around Meta’s neck and envelops her in a crushing hug, overjoyed at the prospect of saving his loved ones. Returning his embrace, Meta pats and rubs soothing circles on his back, until the waves of intense emotion have passed, and, pulling back, he gives her a truly grateful smile.

“Thank you…” The boy whispers. “Thank you _so much_ …!”

“Everyone deserves a second chance, even the ones we call evil.” Meta smiles back, leaning down until their foreheads touch. “Now, shall we head to Angolmois? Kiril and Elluka would be ecstatic to finally meet you.”

“Okay. I—um, this might sound a little strange, but…” With a little laugh, he laces his hands with hers, ducking down in embarrassment. “We’ll be going back in time to save them, but we—I don’t know what will happen. Can—can I call you ‘mother’ until then?”

Warmth blooms in Meta’s heart. “O-of course. Of _course_! How can I say no to that? And, ah, I just realized…” Cheeks flushing red, she ducks her head down in shame. “I never asked you for your name.”

“My… name?” Eyebrows creasing, the boy tilts his head aside. “My name is… Adam… but—that shouldn’t be my name anymore, right? So… mother,” voice cracking, he reaches up to stroke Meta’s cheek, “why don’t _you_ give me a name? A new name, to signify my new life, my new existence.”

“I—I would be honoured to give you a name, my child.” Meta stammers, eyes watering. “You, who suffered through so much, the boy who is wise and powerful and our golden key… the one who wears a laurel crown. Lorenzo.”

“Lorenzo.” Testing the syllables on his tongue, the boy—Lorenzo happily nods, clasping Meta’s hands in his own. “Lorenzo, the laurelled one. Finally, finally, _I have a name to call my own_ —not Adam, not Punishment… my name is _Lorenzo Salmhofer_.”

Then, brilliant blue eyes blazing with determination, he gets to his feet and stands up straight, holding out a hand to Meta who takes it without hesitation.

“To the play that has been performed, we give our final round of applause.” He proudly declares to the ended world, to the gods who are no longer there, to affirm his own proof of existence, his new significance of existence, “Now, shall we begin? To the endlessly-repeating world, we shall aid in their salvation! It is time—for the karma of evil. To finally. Come. To. An. _End._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, Seisaku here! If you're wondering where Houfuku went and why they suddenly left a bunch of places, well to put it bluntly: they're taking a break for the sake of their mental health! There's been a lot on their plate lately and circumstances transpired and culminated in them biting off much more than they could chew. As a result, there's a more-than-zero possibility that other series(es? serii?) will be delayed indefinitely. So... we would greatly appreciate your understanding and patience, dear readers.
> 
> As always, comments and criticisms would also be greatly appreciated. And remember to take breaks every now and then! Don't overwork yourself, even for your passion projects. Seisaku, out!


	4. The Lunacy of Constable Anchor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which houfuku takes an ec discord joke and _runs with it_
> 
> (or: ec has four ends but theres actually a secret Fifth End and its called ayn anchor: neo-wrath demon: no mercy run™)
> 
> dont take any of this too seriously

Come, shall we dance?

Tonight, too, a wretched criminal comes groveling at my feet. But I can tell, that his words are far from sincere. This man seeks only escape, not atonement. Oh, how pitiful. If you will not regret your evils, then I will have no choice but to pass down judgement.

Pulling him up to his feet, I offer him a hand. A dance. Yes, look into my eyes. Aren’t they just the most beautiful shade of red? Once he’s met my gaze, he’s already fallen deeply into my trap. Worthless trash that can’t be saved, I will be his salvation.

A waltz of one-two-three. His dazed smile crumples into an expression of pain, flowers of red blooming from his back. Ah, how delightful! He falls to his knees in front of me, falling into a deep sleep, never to wake.

Yes, bow down to me. Your looks, your status, your name, none of that matters; here, in this hell called Evillious, sin is my only consideration.

Now, repent.

There have been many men before you, and there will likely be many more to come. All of them, in their sickening shades of blue. Like the sea. Once, I drowned in that blue; here and now, the blue shall drown in my overflowing wrath. I will punish each and every one of you, until there are no more sinners left. I must continue with my work, golden key in hand, or else I will be punished in turn. Yes, this lunacy shall continue yet another night. Who will be the next victim, I wonder?

I remember. I remember, the story of the beginning. The one in the key—he, too, had eyes and hair as blue as the evening sky. I used him, he used me… it’s all so very confusing, I don’t remember which is which anymore. The truth has long been lost to darkness, along with the broken doll that sang of gift and poison.

But I knew. I knew that it couldn’t end like that. And when the end times came and I saw my chance—

By taking the place of a forbidden demon, I obtained this power.

If only.

No, this world isn’t the right one. There are no gods. Everyone here but me is empty, and even I am slowly rotting away. Is this existence of mine only a farce? Will everything end when I am gone?

But that will never come to pass, because I will never come to an end.

I am eternal.

I am justice.

I am…

Who am I?

Tonight, too, a wretched criminal comes groveling at my feet. But I can tell, that his words are far from sincere. This man seeks only escape, not atonement. Oh, how pitiful. If you will not repent, then I will have no choice but to pass down judgement.

Which one of you is it this time? I recognize that smile, but I cannot put a name to it. I’ve been awake for far too long, condemning the lot of you to hell. Forgive me for not remembering your name.

Is it the first one? My benefactor, my bane, the source of the everlasting fury that burns within me. I came to him in the forest, guiding his stolen children to him by the light of my hatred. What a wonderful sight they made, tearing him to pieces. That his wife burned to ash along with him was of no importance. If he is evil, then she must be too. It is only just.

Is it the second one? Cowardly fool who looked down upon others, who always kept running away. I came to him in that gourmand’s mansion, poisoning him from the inside out, though he mistook my venom for a vaccine for his illness. I would’ve liked to see him suffer a slow, painful death, but alas. The evil food eater staked her claim on him before I could.

Is it the third one? Pitiful puppet made to dance on a stage of knives, pulled about by strings from every which way. I did not come to him, but watched from afar. How pathetic he was, how misguided his sense of justice. How I loathed him, even at a distance. That he died without ever finding what he was looking for, is enough for me.

So, which one of you is it this time? I recognize that smile, how it sets my heart ablaze with rage. Ah, yes, I can put a name to you now. Despicable man who cared only for his own happiness, so much so that you would cast aside your wife like a broken clockwork doll.

Pulling you up to your feet, I offer you a hand. A dance. Yes, look into my eyes. Aren’t they just the most beautiful shade of red? Once you’ve met my gaze, you’ve already fallen deeply into my trap. Worthless trash that can’t be saved, I will be your salvation.

A waltz of one-two-three. What’s this? You want to seal our contract with a kiss? You really can’t be saved, can you. Chasing down transient pleasures, even in the embrace of a demon. Very well, I shall grant you this one kindness. And then, your eternally damned soul is mine.

His dazed smile sharpens into an expression of arrogance, flowers of red blooming from his lips. Ah, what is this? What have you done?! The pain is unbearable, the siren song of sleep even more so. Something is taking root, deep inside of me. Squeezing the air out of my lungs, bursting forth from my heart.

“A gift,” he whispers, in a tone of voice full of honey and venom, “from one broken doll to another.”

How can this be? There isn’t supposed to be any true soul here but me, everything else is but a farce. Those miserable four have been trapped in the carousel of their own karma; the capricious ones have marched towards parallel worlds in search of new foods; the stagnant ghosts have decided to stay in the ruins of the past to rest; the heavenly souls have gone on to a new world.

I had made my own decision, and struck out for a world all my own. Where I am eternal, where I am justice, where I am the only real existence.

Then why are you here, in my dream?!

“Ah, but who’s to say you aren’t in mine?”

The world dyes white.

* * *

Jolting up from the bed, Ayn Anchor screams.

“Mmmrgh,” an irritated grumble comes from the mop of unruly blue hair beside him, “s’too early for this. Go back to sleep.”

Wild-eyed, the constable holds a hand over his chest, breaths shallow as he desperately tries to calm the frantic beating of his heart.

“Just a dream, just a dream…” He murmurs to nobody in particular, letting his eyelids flutter shut. “It was all just a dream.”

**< But what a fascinating dream it was! Why don’t we work together and make it come true?>**

“—And now I’m having auditory hallucinations. Great.”

**< What the fuck? Seth, that nightmare of his was terrifying! I don’t want that to happen!>**

“Oh, so now there’s two demons in the key?” Ayn groans, slapping his forehead. “I knew about Adam but there’s a Seth, too?”

“Please shut up, officer. I’m trying to sleep, for crying out loud.”

“I know what can help with that!” And Margarita’s suddenly here now, peeking in from the doorway with those bright eyes of hers. “You can sleep well with my gift!”

“Wait, where am I—”

**< In bed with my wife’s husband.>**

“In bed with my husband!”

**< In bed with Kaspar, of all people.>**

“In bed with me.”

Falling out of the bed, Ayn Anchor screams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> extra
> 
> karchess: and wherest the fucketh am i in this fic? im a kaito too >:(  
> ayn: listen. youre the only kaito i agree with so you get spared from the stabbing  
> karchess: wow thanks  
> ayn: also ur not a moron so. not my type  
> karchess: wow… thanks i guess

**Author's Note:**

> feel free to request the exploration of other possible aus and the resulting butterflies!


End file.
